Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-22
Henry ward Beecher on Fashion.

Fashion comes from no one knows where.
Who invents and who propagates? This is
an unsolved mystery. Where is the nest
out of which come these focks of forms,
colors, combinations? It is certain that in
colors fashion is far nearer to a correct
standard than in lines and combination Of
FORMS Fine lines and simple forms are
rare, but the discords of color are rarer yet!
And yet antiquity gives us enduring exam
pies of beauty and symmetry of form, but
almost nothing of color! If it were not for
the charm of color fashion would become
hideous. The human form is hardly consid-
cred as worthy of consideration. Now fash
ion puffs out behind, then swings around to
the front with swathing bandeges suggestive
of anything but beauty. 1t rejoices in
Jumps, it swells out the long train-useless
and in the circumstances in which it must
needs be used absurd to ridiculous-on the
plea of the beauty of flowing lines, and then
it breaks up at the next hour all simple lines
by ruffies, founces and dropsical bandages.
Ne may not hope, we may not desire even
that fashion shall become precise and repeti
tious. We may even wish that it may en-
large the sphere of mems dresses both in
colors and forms. A we'll dressed man is to-
day plaster of white on background of
black. There is no copiousness, no range of
color, no grace of fullness and elasticity.
Colcr is banished. grace and mutable forms
are unknown. A well dressed man is scarce
ly more than a sleek crow with white bib
on mis- breast. Clergyman, gentlemen and
walters come forth with the insignificant
cockade of cravat on their nccks-no scarfs,
no fowery gowns, no richness OF color Ii
women's fashions are borrowed from the
glow of sunrise, mems are cut from the loom
of midnight and topped off with the clumsy,
graceIess and useless hat.
And now as to birds plumaee on female
costume and high hats, that are just now in
growing fashion, all of which am exhorted
to condemn. I am like Balaam of old
called to curse but compelled to bless. For
it cannot be denied that BIRDS plunage as a
mere matter of decoration is exceedingly
beautiful. The only objection, and it is
grave one, is that it will if pursued long ex
terminate the birds of exquisite plumage.
There is grievous danger in this. 1t will be
robbing nature to make women yet more at
tractive, though already enough beautiful.
But should the taste persist it must lead to
the artificial breeding of birds or to artificial
construction of plnmage. Tt is one consola-
ton that our best singing birds are not those
that wear the finest colors.
Like George Washington, I cannot tell
lie. The Unicorn bonnets at present in
vogue are very comely in my eyes; world
finer than the scrimpy patches on women's
heads, that were of no use and We're posi-
lively homely. The present style gives ele-
vation to the head and kind of dignity.
cannot be bribed to decry them. The one
valid objection to them is that in churches
theaters assemblies they intercept the
view. Why not lay them aside for the hour
as women do shawls, pelisses and cloaks and
men do hats9 1t would seem great pity
that one should lose the usual objects of go
ing to church merely for the sake of hearing
the sermoni